LAHORE: The Lahore High Court (LHC) was informed on Thursday that National Accountability Bureau’s (NAB’s) regional board had recommended closing the inquiry into the illegal liquor licence case against former chief minister Punjab Usman Buzdar and others.
It was stated in a reply, filed on behalf of the NAB director general before a division bench, comprising Justice Ali Baqar Najafi and Justice Asjad Javaid Ghural, which was hearing a petition filed by Unicorn Prestige (Pvt) Limited, challenging the NAB inquiry into the alleged liquor licence case.
The NAB prosecutor further submitted that the matter had been forwarded to the NAB chairman for final decision.
The bench disposed of the petition in the light of the NAB director general reply.
The petitioner-hotel had submitted that the NAB inquiry could not continue in the light of NAB amended ordinance. It submitted that already an LHC single bench had declared issuance of the licence as per law. The petitioner had pleaded with the court for issuance of directions to close the inquiry.
In August 2020, NAB had launched investigations against Usman Buzdar and officials of the Excise and Taxation Department Punjab on the charges of misuse of authority, corruption and corrupt practices. It was alleged that the accused issued an illegal liquor licence to an under-construction hotel in violation of the rules.
